


i love you more (so don't be scared)

by uhpockuhlipz



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Birthday Fluff, Established Relationship, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-23
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-10-23 04:26:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10712148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uhpockuhlipz/pseuds/uhpockuhlipz
Summary: Lena Luthor doesn't forget it's her birthday, per se. She just... doesn't really care. But someone else does.





	i love you more (so don't be scared)

**Author's Note:**

> My bud requested a little angsty but mostly fluffy birthday fic so here it is!

It’s not that she forgets.

 

She wakes up, watches the stocks over breakfast to see how L-Corp is faring, and notices the date as she’s flipping through her schedule for the day. It’s a quick jolt, a surprised moment of realization. And then she continues to go through her calendar without further thought on the subject. It’s just another day, just another year. A quick mental switch in the number in her head, the number she has to write on medical forms or when answering surveys, and it’s over.

 

(There are memories, vague memories, of homemade cake and flickering candles, of a voice crooning the birthday song to her, of kisses sprinkled across her face for each of the years she’d been alive. But that had been hers for so short a time. Only four smacking kisses the very last time she’d celebrated her birthday.

 

Even with a mind like hers, the memories are faded and worn, like a distorted tape with muted audio and flickering video. She doesn’t remember her mother’s face anymore, or her voice, or even the true sound of her laugh. But sometimes, when the year rolls around again, she can smell the smoke on the candles after she blows them out and wishes, wishes, wishes to always be as happy as she was with her mother.

 

Maybe that’s why the lack of celebrations that followed weren’t that disappointing. Because she’d learned early on that those wishes don’t come true.)

 

She walks into her building without a second thought granted for the significance of the date. She doesn’t think of being twenty-five now, still the youngest CEO L-Corp has ever had, still the youngest CEO of any corporation that she knows of. She doesn’t think about the years that have passed or that she has no one to celebrate with now.

 

The Luthors had never celebrated her birthday.

 

Well, to be fair, they hadn’t celebrated any of their birthdays. That was on Lillian, and Lionel had gone along with her because it was easier than fighting her, wasn’t it? It was always easier than butting heads with someone as stubborn, as cold, as Lillian Luthor.

 

( _“Why should we celebrate your birthday, like you’ve accomplished something so great just by being alive? Accomplish something real, and then we’ll celebrate it.”_ So Lillian had said, anyway. For Lex it had held true. For Lena… well, Lionel and Lex were always there to celebrate, anyway.)

 

She isn’t thinking about any of it, so when she steps into her office to find Kara there with balloons and flowers, it takes her several long seconds of staring for it to compute.

 

“Kara,” she says, slowly continuing her trek into the room while Kara grins at her. She hangs her bag and her coat before turning to eye the things Kara holds with some surprise. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, but...” She waves a hand, vague and uncertain. “What are you doing here?”

 

“I’m here for your birthday, of course. Duh.” Kara gives the balloons a jiggle, as if Lena could’ve missed the massive “happy birthday” balloon surrounded by the brightest, yellowest balloons that Lena’s ever seen. She’s pretty sure that color is never in her office unless Kara is there. “I brought flowers too. Already in the vase so you don’t need to dig one up or anything.”

 

Lena’s eyes dart to the arrangement sat on her desk. Like the balloons, the flowers are the brightest things in the room. They’re sunflowers, she realizes. Sunflowers tucked into a vase of sweet pink roses and delicate purple flowers she can’t identify. Their wide, cheerful faces make Lena smile despite herself; they remind her so much of Kara.

 

“They’re lovely,” she offers softly, stepping forward to touch her fingertips to the petals.

 

“Aren’t they? I found this cute little flower shop. Actually the owner said she knows you.” Kara offers a crooked smile when Lena looks up, head tilting slightly. “Apparently you bought out her store once.”

 

“Oh.” Lena laughs quietly, a bit flustered, and runs a hand down the length of her ponytail. “Yes. Ruth. I… might have visited her shop when I was looking for your flowers.”

 

“And then you bought all of them and relocated them to my office.”

 

“I might’ve.” Lena laughs again and turns to face Kara fully, leaning back against her desk with arms folded. “Kara, how… How did you find out that today is my birthday?”

 

“Well, it wasn’t easy.” At home, Kara drops her bag beside the guest chair and steps around Lena’s desk to situate her balloons behind it. “But I’m an investigative journalist, Lena.” She turns, adjusts her glasses importantly. “It’s my job to figure this stuff out.”

 

“Uh huh.” Lena’s lips curve. “Well. You’re full of surprises, Kara Danvers.”

 

“Sure am.” Kara steps closer, hesitates a moment before settling her hands on Lena’s waist. “Hi,” she murmurs quietly.

 

“Hi,” Lena returns, just as soft, her hands settling at the crook of Kara’s elbows.

 

(This part is still new, still fragile. They’re still in the delicate beginning stages of their relationship and half the time, neither of them seem to remember they’re allowed to reach out like this now.)

 

Kara bites her lip to hold back her smile and Lena watches her fondly, the slightly defensive, prickly feeling of before dissipating with her affection. Her fingers reach up and tug gently at a curl and Kara crinkles her nose in response before dipping down to kiss her.

 

Lena sighs into the soft pressure of her lips and whatever tension lingered melted away.

 

“Happy birthday, Lena Luthor,” Kara murmurs and Lena shakes her head a little, nudging their noses together.

 

“Thank you, Kara.”

 

Kara kisses her again and then pulls back, steps away, her hands clapping together once.

 

“Okay! Well, I know you’ve got work to do and I’ve definitely got to get to work.” She checks her watch and sulks, just a little, at the time she finds there. “But dinner’s on me tonight, okay? And you can get your present there.”

 

“Present?” Lena’s eyebrows lift. “You didn’t have to get me anything.”

 

“Of course I did. It’s your birthday.” Kara looks offended at the very idea of not getting her something and it makes Lena laugh a little. “Meet me at seven at my place, okay? Don’t be late or Supergirl will have to come drag you away.”

 

Lena hums thoughtfully, a finger tapping against her cheek as she watches Kara from beneath her lashes, a small, coy smile curving her lips. “Giving serious consideration to being late on purpose if that’s my consequence.”

 

Kara’s cheeks flame and her ears burn pink. “I- _Lena!”_

 

Lena laughs and waves her off. “Seven it is. I won’t be late.”

 

“Okay. Yeah. Good.” Kara picks up her bag and starts for the door. She pauses, turns. And then, with a burst of super speed, she’s in front of Lena again, bending down to peck her lips. “Bye.”

 

“Goodbye, Kara.”

 

Lena’s still smiling when Jess walks in several minutes later to inform her that her first meeting of the day had arrived. She lifts her eyebrows at the flowers and balloons and smirks, but doesn’t say anything.

 

Lena reminds herself to give her a raise.

 

//

 

She arrives at Kara’s promptly at seven and knocks.

 

And when the door swings open, there is a whole gathering of people there and they all shout “Surprise!” Which, yes, it certainly is. Her eyes go wide and she steps back reflexively, but Kara catches her hand and guides her inside. Lena recovers quickly and smiles at everyone, greeting them even as her stomach jumps and her heart races. It’s a small party, really. Just the usual group. But even so, it feels a little overwhelming with the streamers and balloons and party hats (one of which Alex places on her head, bringing the elastic string under her chin with a smirk and a “looking good, Luthor”).

 

Kara watches her quietly as she says hi to everyone and once she has her half glass of wine in hand, Kara leans in close. “If it’s too much, everyone can leave,” she offers.

 

“Oh. Kara, no. It’s lovely. Really, it is.” She touches her fingers carefully to her cheek. “I’ve just… Never had a birthday party before.”

 

Kara’s eyes go wide, then gloss over with sadness. “Never?”

 

“Never.”

 

“Lena...” Kara dips forward and presses their foreheads together briefly. Then she pecks her lips and pulls back again, her hand sliding into Lena’s. “Then let’s make this the best first party ever.”

 

Lena tilts her head onto her shoulder and nods against it, smiling slowly. “Deal.”

 

And it is.

 

//

 

“Here’s your present.” Kara settles it on her lap much later that night, when they’re alone again and the apartment is silent. “I know it’s not very fancy. You’ve probably had so many fancy presents in your life. But I hope you like it anyway.”

 

Lena doesn’t bother to tell Kara that she hasn’t had a birthday present since she was four. Instead she kisses her cheek and says, “I’m sure I’ll love it,” before she begins to pluck carefully at the ribbons and wrapping paper.

 

(Kara huffs a little impatiently at her side and Lena smiles, maybe goes just a little slower to tease her.)

But finally the box beneath is revealed and Lena takes off the lid, her eyes going wide at the book within.

 

It’s a scrapbook, she realizes as she flips through the pages. There are tons of pictures in it of her with every member of the group, at every social outing she’s been involved in since befriending Kara, with ticket stubs and receipts and other such mementos from separate occasions.

 

There are flowers pressed between plastic sheets (“from the ones you gave me,” Kara explains) and more photos of her and Kara together than she can count.

 

There’s one of them dancing at a gala, their foreheads pressed together and their eyes locked, and Lena traces it reverently. It’s the first night they’d decided to do… this. The relationship thing. She doesn’t know who took this picture, but she’s grateful.

 

Because she can see the love. Not just hers, but Kara’s. And Kara’s surrounded the picture with calligraphy. The lyrics of the song they’d been dancing to, she realizes.

 

“Kara...” Lena looks up, her hand shaking as she lifts it to cup her cheek. “It’s so beautiful.”

 

“I wanted to give you something only I could give you,” she whispers, and their foreheads press together like in the picture. “Because you’re awesome and amazing and so beautiful, and because I love you, Lena. Happy birthday.”

 

Lena laughs and sets the scrapbook aside to loop her arms around Kara’s neck, kissing her with enthusiasm. “I love it. And I love you. Thank you.”

 

//

 

They tumble into Kara’s bed and kiss and kiss and kiss until well past the time her birthday officially ends.

 

The scrapbook lays on Kara’s coffee table, open still to that first dance photograph.


End file.
